How to Improve Your English Skills

Saturday 3 March 2012 10:37 AM

There are many people wanting to improve their English skills, from those who are completely new to the language to those who have a pretty good grasp but want to fine-tune their grammar. If you want to improve your English, the best thing you can do is immerse yourself in the language as much as possible.

Here are some simple steps you can take to improve, some of which are completely free and some of which may require some investment in your personal development:

Watch television: I would not normally advocate sitting and staring at the television for its own sake, but if you are learning a language then it is an incredibly useful tool because the visuals will help you follow the sense and you will be able to pick up vocabulary on a huge range of subjects.

Use the internet: Many people these days are finding that to learn English online is one of the best options open to them. You have an unlimited range of subjects and formats to choose from and you can also chat to other learners on blogs or forums so your learning can be a more interactive experience, as opposed to sitting on your own reading or watching television. If you want to learn English online in a more structured way then consider taking an online English course which will allow you to study flexibly at your own pace, and will also give you a much better grasp of finer details such as grammar and sentence structure.

Read: One of the best ways to learn a language is to read constantly – whatever you can get your hands on. Some people prefer the brief snippets of text you get in magazines, whilst others prefer the challenge of getting their teeth into a novel in an unfamiliar language. A good tip, if you are a real beginner, is to start with children’s books and work your way up to more complicated fare when you a familiar with the more basic language. If you are out for dinner, even reading a menu is good practice. There is scope for learning through reading almost everywhere you look.

Keep talking: Apply what you have learned in conversation whenever possible, whether it’s going to the shops, chatting to people on the train or at work. It doesn’t matter if your speech isn’t perfect – ask people to correct you and you will soon begin to improve. This is also a great way of boosting your self-confidence and social skills.